The coyote is similar in many ways to a lot of the other canine species discussed in class. They defend a territory similar to the wolf, fox and jackal. The smaller members of the canidae family do not have as large a territory as that of the wolf. Wolves lives in large packs, and have very large territories. The coyote, wolf, fox, and jackal all use scent markings to establish territorial boundaries. In addition, the coyote and wolf will use howling as well. Howling functions as a means of communication within the pack.
While the female coyote can raise the offspring on her own, they are severely less healthy then those pups raised by two parents. Then for all intensive purposes the coyote mating system is obligate monogamy. It is necessary for the male to be present to ensure strong offspring. The pressures from defending the territory, obtaining food, and protecting the young are all to intense for the female to adequately raise the pups. Pups born to a lone female will usually die, be undernourished, and/or be infected with many parasites. The female suffers as well. By attempting to complete so many tasks the female usually died within a few months. Those females who did not die, had pups that were dependent for a longer period of time. For this reason most of the other canines are also members of the obligate monogamy system. The male is needed to help raise the offspring, because the demands of keeping up the territory are too great.
The coyote is most similar to the fox in its hunting pattern. The fox and the coyote primarily are solitary and opportunistic hunters, while jackals hunt in pairs, and wolves in packs. Coyotes will hunt in groups when the prey is very large, but the majority of their prey are small enough to be caught alone. The coyote also lacks the distinct linear hierarchy that is present in the wolves which aids in group hunting.
Unlike the wolf and jackal the coyotes do not mate for life. They will have the same mate for several years, but there is no evidence that they mate for life. The male-female pair is usually the main unit in the canidae family. Within the group there are usually subordinates that aid in child care. For the most part the subordinates are kin, generally offspring from previous years. There is also a large degree of dispersion with the canines. The coyote is very similar to the wolf in this respect. The size of the pack is dependent upon the food availability, the wolf density, and the level of human interaction.